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“Huh?”

“The women who work in my office usually wear dresses.”

“I only have one, floral.”

“Then go shopping. You’ll have a corporate credit card, and expenses will be a job benefit.”

“I don’t want charity. I can pay for my own clothes.”

I don’t even bother to respond. “I’ll have someone look for you tomorrow. They’ll take you to buy what you need. You said you can start soon? I arrive at the office around eight. Be there in three days.”

“And I thought I was quick . . .”

“Quick?”

“Nothing. I was just thinking out loud.”

“Speak.”

“You seem like a bulldozer,” she says and then quickly adds, though she doesn’t seem at all repentant, “No offense, sir.”

Not for the first time today, I suppress a smile. Olívia is unbelievable, and I’m still not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.

I grab my phone, unlock it, and hand it to her. “Save your number here.”

“Once I go to HR tomorrow, you’ll know what it is.”

“No, I might need to talk to you before that. Save it.”

I could swear she rolls her eyes, but she quickly masks it. “Done. Now, can you explain a little more about what you expect from me?”

It’s time to get creative.

“Your role will be . . .”

Chapter 12

Later that day

Caldwell-Oviedo Tower Hotel

I’m completely shocked by the size of the room—it’s not just a room but an apartment big enough to fit about fiveOlíviasinside.

As soon as we arrived, Guillermo dropped me off at the hotel entrance. A staff member came to collect my suitcase and brought me here. My new boss said a quick goodbye. He mentioned that the person who would meet me tomorrow would explain how to get to his office in three days, and that I should take this time to relax.

Right. As if I could.

I’m buzzing, eager for someone to pinch me so I can be sure that what I’m experiencing is real. In a way, I’m glad our meeting ended.

I’m naturally restless—now add to that everything that’s happened in a little over two hours.

Think about it.

You’re at home, trying to encourage yourself and believe that everything will be okay. You know your savings won’t lastlong, as even with a better job at a café, as I intended, the salary there plus tips wouldn’t even come close to what I need to pay off the monthly agreement I made with the bank. The installments into which my mother’s medical expenses were divided ate up almost all of my salary, and I’ll probably be paying them until the day I die, but I’ve come to terms with that.

Are you with me so far? Well, then. You’re alone and flat broke, then you open the door and come face-to-face with a man who looks like a hot romance hero and offers you a job.

Doesn’t it just make you think of that fairy godmother thing?